The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting a multi-color original, and more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting contents of a multi-color original surely even to the other party (a receiver) which has no multi-color printing capability.
As a facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting contents of a multi-color original, there have been known a facsimile apparatus for two colors of red and black in a G2 (Group 2) equipment and a facsimile apparatus of a line sequential transmission system or a page sequential transmission system in a G3 (Group 3) equipment.
A facsimile apparatus for two colors of red and black in a G2 equipment employs analog signals for transmission and receiving. Therefore, it has no interchangeability with a G3 equipment of a digital transmission system used widely at present, which is inconvenient.
In a facsimile apparatus of a page sequential transmission system in a G3 equipment, on the other hand, contents of one page of an original are transmitted by colors. Therefore, when the other party (a receiver) has no multi-color printing capability, data in each color are printed on a different page as bit pattern of black and white, which has been a problem.
When transmitting after preparing monochromatic data at a transmitter for the purpose of preventing the aforementioned problem, it is required to prepare the monochromatic data on a real time basis while conducting communication. However, image data are coded for each color, and therefore it is not possible to prepare the monochromatic data unless image data of each color are read and decoded, which has been a problem.
In the case of a facsimile apparatus of a line sequential transmission system, it is not possible to restore original data at the other party when the other party has no multi-color printing capability, which is the same as in the case of a facsimile apparatus of a page sequential transmission system. When transmitting after preparing monochromatic data at the transmitter for the purpose of overcoming the problem mentioned above, the complicated processing is required.
Further, in the line sequential transmission system, data in a line are transmitted for each color. Therefore, correlation of data in a line is broken, making efficient data transmission impossible when an ordinary MH coding system or MR coding system is employed.
In addition to the above the line sequential transmission system has a problem of poor efficiency when transmitting data to an apparatus where received data are printed after being stored therein temporarily as in a printing apparatus suitable for the page sequential printing, such as, for example, an electrophotographic printing apparatus.